Wednesday, August 27, 2008

In retrospect, the introduction to the 1999 book he co-authored seems prescient: “This life is a short journey,” he wrote as he began 100 Things To Do Before You Die (Taylor Trade Publishing). “How can you make sure you fill it with the most fun and that you visit all the coolest places on earth before you pack those bags for the very last time?”

Little did author and adventure seeker Dave Freeman know that, less than 10 years later, his number would come up, not under the feet of bulls in Pamplona or scaling a peak or even tumbling nude from a surfboard in Australia, but at age 47, hitting his head after a simple fall at his home in Venice, California.

“It’s very odd, very sad and very freaky,” [Freeman’s co-author] Mr Teplica told the Daily Mail. “There was no heart attack. He was physically very capable -- not the sort of person to just fall over. His death is unfathomable.”

According to Mr Teplica, his friend’s mantra was: “You should live every day like it would be your last. There's not many people who do.”

Mr Teplica said: “He didn’t have enough days but he lived the life he wrote about.”